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    How do I assess and choose the right technology to improve business operations?

    New technology is emerging every day, and it can often feel like an intimidating task to pick the right piece of kit or software. Taking simple steps such as defining key needs the business has, taking into account projected future business evolution and considering integration requirements not only help to de-risk the process but also get the right people involved so that adoption starts as early as possible. Use our advice and guidance to inform decisions that can dramatically improve operations.

    Ways to help you deal with it:

    Action plan

    Make a decision about which technology is right for your business

    Effort : High
    Impact : High
    Once you’ve identified the business needs new technology could support, it’s time to research and choose something that’s right for your organisation.

    ACTION PLANS are a structured list of steps designed to help you approach tackling a particular business challenge.

    • We explain why each step is important
    • Customise by setting your own completion dates and assign tasks
    • Helpful tools are provided for certain steps
    • A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available

    Action plan

    Develop your digital skills as a leader

    Effort : Medium
    Impact : Medium
    Identify what digital skills are important in your leadership role and find the best learning method, from online resources to training and events.

    Action plan

    Preparing for a new investment in technology

    Effort : Medium
    Impact : Medium
    Once you have made a decision on using a new technology, the next step is to plan how it will be implemented.

    Guide

    An introduction to assessing and choosing the right technology to improve business operations

    There’s tech out there that can enhance every aspect of your business and open up opportunities for growth, so here's how you can get started.

    GUIDES break a challenge down, providing important context and real-world experiences.

    • Based on SME experiences, not corporate jargon
    • Filled with real-world stories
    • Achievable steps every business can take

    Other support that's available

    What to avoid

    What to avoid

    There are some common mistakes that businesses often make when choosing technology, as we explore. However, Procurious has a compiled a helpful summary of the main stumbling blocks.

    What is digital capability?

    What is digital capability?

    While it may sound like a bit of a buzzword, digital capability is a theme you shouldn't ignore like other jargon. Jisc has had a look at the topic and explains why it's a big part of successful tech adoption.

    How other businesses have tackled something similar

    Real business story

    Do your research before investing in new tech

    Get technology investment right and the benefits can be huge. The wrong choice, however, can waste money and hinder growth. See how Dunsters Farm approached the process..
    Outdoor Provisions

    Real business story

    Find the right technology by testing and learning quickly

    For snacks business Outdoor Provisions, adopting the right technology has allowed the company to scale quickly, keep costs down and manufacture sustainably..
    Gav Winter, Rapid Spike

    Real business story

    Develop a process for identifying the right tech for your business

    At RapidSpike, CEO Gav Winter ensures possible new technology investments answer at least one of four key questions if they are to be taken forward..

    The questions lots of businesses are trying to answer

    What issue is keeping you awake at night? A bit of targeted support is often all you need to overcome those challenges.

    Select a topic

    Digital

    How can I improve the digital presence my business has? How should I go about collecting data to improve my business? How should I use the data I have to improve decision making? How can I streamline and automate some of our business processes? How do I work out the best digital sales channels to use? How do I assess and choose the right technology to improve business operations? How do I effectively seek external digital support? How can I understand what digital tools or support my business needs? How do I know if my technology is robust enough for growth? How should I best budget and plan for new technology investments?

    Leadership & Strategy

    How do I learn to become a better leader? How do I improve the communication in my business? How do I get staff interested in our vision and values? How can I reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses as a leader? How do I give my team autonomy and get better at delegating? As a leader, how do I learn to trust others within my organisation? How do I apply learnings from other businesses to my own company? How should my role as a business leader evolve with the company’s growth? How can I balance short-term needs with long-term targets? How do I get better at noticing and reacting to warning signs?

    People & Team

    How can I improve my hiring and onboarding practices? How can I develop the skillsets of my workforce? How can I develop career paths for my staff? How can I run a better appraisals process? How should I performance manage my staff? How do I deal with a challenging member of staff? How can I increase staff engagement and motivation? How can I keep my best members of staff? How do I manage an effective remote workforce? How can I reduce employee turnover?

    Planning

    How do I better inform my business plans? How do I know when to scale up my business? How can I define and communicate my vision for success? How do I ensure my business can navigate a dip in trading? How do I know when to invest in my business? How can I get better at looking internally at my business? How can I get staff interested in the financial situation? How can I make my business more resilient to change? How can I balance ambition with setting realistic goals? How can I work out what required skillsets are missing in the business?

    Sales & Growth

    How can we develop new products and services? How do I develop a clear unique selling point? How can we better serve our most loyal customers? How do I financially plan for new opportunities? How do I build a network to support my business? How can I get a better return on investment from my marketing? How can I identify new customers to target? How do I create targets and KPIs for my staff? How do I make sure my team and processes are ready for growth? How do I benchmark my business against competitors?
    All